Craft Beer Tourism in Japan- MAHOWBREW, Naha City, Okinawa Prefecture
userYachimun. In Okinawan dialect, yachimun refers to pottery. Just across the street from the Hyatt Regency Naha, located slightly off Kokusai Street, you’ll find the Naha City Tsuboya Pottery Museum. The street in front of it is called Tsuboya Yachimun Street, lined on both sides with pottery shops and stores where you can try making pottery yourself.
The narrow stone-paved road is filled with shops operating in traditional buildings, giving the area a relaxed atmosphere that feels worlds away from central Naha. Walking along Tsuboya Yachimun Street from the museum eventually brings you to Himeyuri Street. Just past the intersection is MAHOWBREW (Witch’s Sandwich).
MAHOWBREW (Witch’s Sandwich)
2-4-3 Tsuboya, Naha City, Okinawa
From Pottery Street to Craft Beer
Himeyuri Street runs north to south across Okinawa’s main island, connecting to Naha Airport. In contrast to the calm pottery street, traffic here suddenly becomes heavier, and the atmosphere shifts from a tourist area to a neighborhood for locals. Crossing the intersection and turning left, you’ll soon notice large brewing tanks through a window on the right-hand side—that’s MAHOWBREW.
The shop itself carries the name Witch’s Sandwich and serves Cuban sandwiches, but it also functions as the taproom for MAHOWBREW.
Inside, the large brewing equipment takes up most of the space, leaving a little over 10 seats at the counter and tables. (Before they started brewing in-house, this was just a craft beer bar and sandwich shop, so the brewing space used to be seating.) A row of taps lines the counter, offering a wide selection.
Looking at the menu, I was impressed by the variety of craft beers. Many are made with local Okinawan ingredients such as shikuwasa from Nago City, watermelon from Nakijin Village in northern Okinawa, and even sanpin-cha (jasmine tea), a drink commonly found in Okinawa.
That day, I ordered a Czech-style pale lager called Hugin. Of course, I couldn’t resist getting their signature Cuban sandwich as well—the pairing with the craft beer was perfect.
MAHOWBREW – A Starting Point for Craft Beer Tourism in Naha
MAHOWBREW is about an 8-minute walk from Asato Station on the Yui Rail, and also within easy walking distance of Kokusai Street, making it very accessible for both locals and tourists.
Heading from Tsuboya Yachimun Street toward Kokusai Street, if you continue into Heiwa Street (a covered arcade), you’ll find an intersection that splits into two. On the left is Sakurazaka, home to Sakurazaka Brewery.
Parallel to Heiwa Street is another arcade street—at the far end, near the exit of Ichiba Chuo Street (opposite Kokusai Street), you’ll find Ukishima Brewing, located on the third floor.
Back near Kokusai Street, behind the Royal Palm Hotel, is Heavy Sasori Brewing. As of May 2025, they had not yet started brewing due to licensing issues, but preparations seemed to be well underway.
